Electric regulator



W. A. TURBAYNE.

ELECTRIC REGULATOR.

APPucmou FILED AUG.26. 1918.

1,405,956. Patented Feb. 7, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- g l o WITNESS: INVENiOR.

\. I. 1 WL'ZZzam/I Turbayne 7 BY i KWAQHM J (ATTORNEY.

1 ulator illustrated in Figure 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. TURBAYITE, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO U. S. LIGHT 86 HEAT CORPORATION, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW ,Yomr.

ELECTRIC REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 26, 1918. Serial No. 251,363.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. TUR- BAYNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at NiagaraFalls, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Regulators, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to electric re ulators.

ore particularly the present invention relates to electric regulators which utilize a compressible pile. In such regulators the force available to vary the pressure exerted upon the compressible pile to produce regulation is the out-of-balance component of two opposing forces which are normally in equilibrium. One of the forces is ordinarily due to gravity operating upon the parts of the regulator or to some motive means such as a spring, while the opposing force is due to the magnetic effect of a magnet. The greater these opposing forces can be made, the closer will be the degree of regulation maintained by the device.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple and sturdy structure which will provide close regulation.

A further object is to provide a construction in which the'temperature error will be reduced to a minimum.

Further objects will be apparent as the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 represents a side view of one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 represents an end view.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating comparative magnetization curves of the two magnets shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a view illustrating a type of regulator now'commonly used.

Figure 5 is a diagram representing certain of the characteristics of the type of. reg- Figure 6 is a diagram representing certain characteristics of the regulator illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring first to Fig. 1",a compressible pile is indicated by the numeral 1. Said pile may be connected to any circuit whose re-.

sistance it is desired to control. The numeral 2 indicates a lever pivoted atthe point 3. The point 3 may be located substantially midway between the ends of the lever 2, whereby said lever 2 will be statically balanced. The lever 2 is provided with a projecting finger 4 adapted to engage with one end of the compressible pile, the other end of which may be relatively fixed. A spring 5, whose tension may be adjusted by means of a nut 6, will be provided for biasing the lever 2 to a position to compress the pile 1.

The lever 2 is provided at its opposite ends with armatures 7 and 8 adapted to cooperate with magnets 9 and 10 respectively. Said magnets 9 and 10 will preferably take the form of U-shaped magnets, whereby each, with its armature, may form a substantially closedmagnetic circuit. The magnet-9 is provided with awinding 11, while the magnet 10 is provided with a winding 12. The magnet 9 will have more iron in its section than the magnet 10, and the coil 11 of magnet 9 will have fewer turns than the coil 12. Said coils 11 and 12 should be connected to be responsive to the same electrical conditions. Said coils have been illustrated as being in series with one another.

Due to the fact that magnet 10 has more turns and less iron in its section than magnet 9, the magnetization curves of said magnets will take different forms. The relative shapes of said curves are illustrated in Fig. 3, the curve of magnet 10 being indicated by the numeral 10' and the curve of magnet 9 being indicated by the numeral 9'. As indicated inFig. 3, for equal increments in magnetizing current, the magnetic force of magnet 10 will increase more rapidly than the magnetic force of magnet 9, but, due to its smaller section of iron, will never reach the value attained by the magnet 9. Magnetization curve 10'cwill accordingly cross magnetization curve 9, the point of intersection being indicated by the reference resented by the point of intersection B of their respective magnetization curves; that is to say, magnet 10 will be designed to operate abovethe knee of its ma netization curve, whilemagnet 9 ,will be esigned to operate below the knee of its magnetization curve.

The regulator shown in Figure 4 is illustrated for convenience in pointing out the particular improvement of applicants invention. Said regulator is illustrative o a great number of regulators now in use which employ a mechanical force acting in opposition to a magnetic force. Such regulators v assume a great variety of forms, all of which have characteristics such .as will now be discussed. The illustrated embodiment comprises a compressible pile 13 acted upon by a bell crank lever 14, having a plunger 15, which moves in response to the energizatlon of the solenoid 16.

Referring now to Fig. 5, which illustrates the characteristics of the type of regulator illustrated in Fig. 4, the line A A represents the mechanical force imparted by the weight of the plunger 15 and lever 1 tend- 1 ing to maintain the pressure upon the compressible pile. Such pressure has been assumed to be 4 pounds. The line 0-1) represents the opposing force imparted by the solenoid 16. In this diagram it has been assumedthat the iron of the plunger 15 is worked at such a flux density that the variations in pounds pull exerted by the solenoid will be twice the variations in ampere turns in the winding 16, so that a four volt variation above or below the normalfvoltage, which may be taken as'32 volts, will b accompanied by a variation of one pound pull.

At 32 volts, therefore, the forces will be in equilibrium. A one volt increase above 32 will produce a preponderating pull by the solenoid of four ounces available to actuate the carbon pile while a reduction of one volt will cause a preponderating force of 4 ounces tending to compress the pile. Magnet 10 will have a certain pulling effect which may be represented by the line (l -E in Fig. 6. As indicated in said figure, afour volt increase will result in a one pound increase in the pullmg effect of magnet 10. Assuming that the spring 5 exerts a constant pull of two pounds, such constant 1 effect will be added to the pulling effect of With one volt rise it will-be noted that" 'while the attractive force of both magnets increases, the force of the magnet 9 wi 1 exceed that of the magnet 10-by 8 ounces, while similarly, a one volt decrease below normal will cause a preponderatlng force by the magnet 10 and spring 5 of eight ounces.

Electro-magnets of the type illustrated in Fig. 1 may be made to exert an exceedingly high tractive force with a reasonable expenditure of energy for excitation and by reasonably choosing the section of iron entering into their structure, so that one will be more sensitively responsive than the other, very close regulation will be obtained. 7

The manner in which the present invention minimizes the temperature error will now be discussed. In the existing-types of regulators, such as illustrated in Fig. 4, it is the usual practice, in order to reduce the temperature error, to interpose a resistanc unit in series with the regulator winding, this resistance unit being made of material having a substantially zero temperature coeflicient. The greater the amount of external resistance connected in circuit in the regulating coil, the smaller will be the temperature error, so that in existing practice, only a small amount of energy used in the complete circuit is actually employed for exciting the regulating magnet.

The effect of this temperature error upon a magnet of the type illustrated in Fig. 4:, is shown by the broken line F-G in Fig. 5. If the regulator illustrated in Figure l is ad justed cold to maintain 32'volts, a ten per cent increase in the resistance of the winding, due to temperature increase, will be accom panied by a ten per-cent. decrease in its pull, represented by the broken line F-G. A condition of equilibrium will result at the point F and the regulator will now act to maintain 33.8 volts or 1.8 volts higher than the normal value. The figures assumed above have been taken from practice and represent practical commercialconditions as heretofore commonly used.

According to the present invention, the external resistance may be dispensedwith and temperature rise'will produce only 'a negli gible effect, as illustrated in Fig. 6; In this case, an increase in the resistance of the winding of ten per-cent; will be followed by a ten per-cent. reduction of the attractive force of the two magnets shown by the dotted lines HJ and K-L. A new condition of, e ullibrium will be established at the point and regulation will be' maintained at 32.4 volts or only .4 volt higher than the normal value of the cold adjustment.

A steadyingdash-pot will not be required for the regulator according to applicants invention, for the reason that'the la in the current in the regulating coils 11 an 12 will substantially qually affect said two coils and therefore cancel out. It will be clear that the coils Hand 12 may. be connected across the line re uiring regulation, or in series therewith. t will be clearalso, thatwhere mixed regulation is desired, the windings may be applied to the two magnets 9 and 10 for the purpose desired in the class of regulation determined upon.

One embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail. Many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is intended in this patent to cover all such modifications that come within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

\Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is'

1. In electric regulating means, a compressible pile, means for operating said pile, and a pair of magnets for operating said means, said magnets being connected to be responsive to the same electrical conditions. said magnets having opposing effects upon said means.

2. In electric regulating means. a com pressible pile, means for-operating said pile, and a pair of magnets for operating said means, said magnets being connected to be responsive to the same electrical conditions. one of said magnets being provided with a greater number of turns than the other, said magnets ha-vin opposing eiiects upon said means.

' 3, n electric regulating means, a. compressible pile and a pair of electro-magnets for operating said pile, one of said magnets being designed to operate below the knee of its magnetization curve, while the other operates above the knee of its magnetization curve when said magnets are connected to be responsive to the same electrical conditions. 4. In electric regulating means, a compressible pile. and a pair of electro-ma-gnets for operating said pile, one of said magnets having less iron in its section and having a greater number of turns than the other, said magnets being connected to be responsive to the same electrical conditions.

5. In electric regulating means, a compressible pile, means for operating said pile, said means being biased to compress said pile, and a .pair of magnets for operating said means, oneof said magnets operating to compress said pile, the other operating to relieve compression of said pile, said magnets being connected to be responsive to the same electrical conditions.

6. In electric regulating means, a compressible pile, means for operating said pile, said means being biased to compress said pile, and a pair of magnets for operating said. means, one of said magnets operating to compress said pile, the other operating to re lieve compression of said pile, said magnets being so designed that the magnetization curves of said magnets, when plotted to the same ordinates and abscissee, will cross below the'knee of one of said curves and abose t-l ie' knee'of theother of said curves.

v7. In electric regulating means, a compressible pile, means for operating said pile, said means being biased to compress said pile, and a pair of electro-magnets for operating said means, one of said magnets operating to compress said pile, the other, under the same electrical conditions, operating to relieve compression of said pile, said one magnet being provided with a greater number of turns and less section of magnetic material than said other magnet.

8. In electric regulating means, a compressible pile, means for operating said pile, said means being biased to compress said pile, and a pair of' solenoids for operating said means, one of said solenoids o' wrating to compress said pile, the other operating to relieve compression of said pilc, said solenoids being connected to be r'es xmsive to the same electrical conditions.

9. In electric regulating means, a compressible pile, means for operating said pile, said means being biased to compress said pile, and a pair of solenoids for operating said means, one of said solenoids operating to compress said pile, the other operating to relieve compression of said pile, said one solenoid being provided with a greater number of turns than said other, said solenoids being connected to be responsive to the same electrical conditions.

10; In electric regulating means, a com-.

pressible pile, means for operating said pile, said means being biased to compress said pile, and a pair of electro-magnets for operating said means, one of said magnets operating to compress said pile, the other operating to relieve compression of said pile, said one magnet being provided with a greater number of turns than said other magnet, said electro-magnets being connected to be re sponsive to the same electrical conditions.

11. In .electric regulating means, a compressible pile, means for operating said pile, and a pair of solenoids for operating said means, said solenoids being connected to be responsive to the same electric-a1 conditions, said means including a statically balanced lever.

12. Inelectric regulating means, a compressible pile and statically balanced means for operating said pile, said means including a pair of electro-magnets, for producing differential efiects, one of said magnets having less iron in its section and having a greater number of turns than the other.

13. In electric regulating means, a compressible pile and statically balanced means for operating said pile, said means including a pair of electro-magnets,said magnets being so designed thattheir magnetization curves,

when plotted to the same ordinates and abscissae, will cross at a point below the knee of one-of said curves and above the knee of the other. I

14. In electric regulating means, acompressible pile and statically balanced means for operating said pile, said means including a pair of electro-magnets, one of said magnets having less iron in its section and havsive to the same electrical cpnditions.

15. In electric. regulat-ingmeans, a coinpressible pile and statically balanced means for operating said pile, said means including a pair of electro-magnets, one of said magnets having less iron in its sect-ion than the other, said magnets being connected to be responsive to the same electrical conditions.

16. In electric regulating means, a compressible pile and statically balanced means for operating said pile, said means including a pair of electro-magnetsyone of said magnets having less iron in its section and having agreater number of turns than the other, said magnetsbeing connected to be responsive to the same electrical conditions and havin opposing effects on said lever.

l7. n el ctnic regulating means, a com- .pressibl 1 e and statically balanced means for operating said pile, said means including a pair of electro-magnets, one of said magnets having less iron in its'section than the other, said magne'ts'being connected to be responsive to the same electrical conditions and having opposing effects on said lever.

18. In electric regulating means, 'a compressible 'pile, statically balanced means for operating said pile, said 'meansincluding a pairof magnets, one of said magnets being -.more readily responsive but having a lower saturation point than the other,

19. In electric regulating means, a. compressible pile, statically balanced means for operating said pile, said means including apair of magnets, one of said solenoids being more readily responsive than the other, said magnets being connected to be responsive to the same electrical conditions.

20. In electric regulating, means, a compressible pile, statically balanced means for operating said pile, said means being biased to compress said pile, said means including a pair of magnets, one of said magnets being more readily responsive than the other, said magnets being connected to be responsive to a the same electrical conditions.

21. In electric regulating means, a (0111- pressible pile, a lever pivoted intermediate of its ends whereby to be statically balanced, opposed magnets connected to be responsive to the same electric conditions operating on opposite ends of said lever, one of said magnets being more readily responsive than the other.

a pair of electro-magnets t'or exerting opposing effects on said means, said electro-magnets being connected to be responsive to the same electrical conditions, one of said magnets being designed to' operate above the knee of its magnetization curve While the other magnet is operating below the knee of its magnetization curve.

23. In electric regulating means, a com-- pressible pile, means for opera-ting'said pile biased to compress same, an electro-Inagnet for urging said means to compress said pile, an electro-magnet for urging said means to relieve compression of said pile, said electromagnets being connected to be responsive to the same electrical conditions, said first mentioned electro-magnetbeing designed to 0p erate above the knee of its magnetization curve, while the second mentioned electromagnet is operating below the knee of its magnetization curve.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

' WILLIAM A. TURBAYNE. 

